444 A NATURALIST IN THE PACIFIC CHAP. 



present at times the same habit of growth. The taller trees of 

 Rhizophora mangle may resemble the Selala in habit, and the smaller 

 trees of the Selala may approach the habit of Rhizophora mangle. 



The distinctive characters of the Selala are given in the table 

 opposite. It will be there seen that this form is intermediate between 

 the other two species as regards the form and size of the petioles 

 and peduncles ; the size of the bracts and bracteoles ; the colour, 

 form, and size of the flowers ; and in the length of the style. Its 

 leaves are smaller than in the case of the other two species, but 

 pointed and semi-aristate like those of Rhizophora mucronata. 

 There are, however, two varieties of the Selala, both with larger 

 foliage than that belonging to the prevailing type of the tree, and 

 from 10 to 15 feet in height. In one the flowers are more numerous, 

 each flowering stem branching four or five times and bearing at 

 least twenty-four flowers, the first branch being trichotomous and 

 the rest dichotomous. In the other, which is the prevailing form 

 on the Mathuata coast, there is a nearer approach to Rhizophora 

 mucronata in the rounding of the peduncles and in the length of 

 the style. Then, again, there are divergent varieties of Rhizophora 

 mangle which in the larger bracts and bracteoles and in the greater 

 size, form, and paler hue of the flowers come nearer to the Selala. 

 Taking all the characters together, the Selala, though intermediate 

 between the Asiatic and the American species, comes in the most 

 critical diagnostic points, as in the inflorescence, in the individual 

 flowers, and in the form of the apex of the leaf, nearest to 

 Rhizophora mucronata, the Asiatic species. 



The seedless character of the Selala is well known to most 

 Fijians of the coast districts, the native name signifying empty 

 (lala) flowers (se). Now and then they aver that it produces fruit, 

 but the numerous offers of rewards in money never resulted in their 

 bringing me the fruits. During my residence of two years in the 

 group I examined the Selala trees in a great number of localities 

 and never succeeded in finding them in fruit. 



With all three kinds the anthers burst in the bud before it 

 begins to open, and we may ask why the process of self-fertilisation, 

 which is effectual with the other two kinds, produces no result with 

 the Selala. In all three cases the flower-buds and expanded 

 flowers hang downwards, and the expanded flowers retain their 

 parts for the first twenty-four hours, the pollen being caught in 

 quantity on the hairy edges of the petals. During the next day 

 the withering stamens fall out, and on the following day the petals 

 fall too. With the Selala, the style soon begins to blacken and 



